On August 21, 2012, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) issued CSMS #12-00322 announcing their plans to expand the Export Manifest Document Imaging System (DIS) Pilot to include export ocean manifests to be e-mailed to the DIS, as opposed to the current process which includes presenting hard copies of the documentation at the port.
Attached to the CSMS, is a notice with more information on the Export Manifest Expansion Pilot. The notice explains that "this pilot is an interim step to the full development of an electronic export manifest that will replace the current paper process. This process should help to alleviate some of the cost ... associated with the presentation of the paper export manifest to CBP for the trade."
The expansion is schedule to take place as follows:
- August 20, 2012 – Florida and all Gulf Coast ports to Brownsville, Texas and Puerto Rico
- September 4, 2012 – All East Coast ports and Buffalo, Chicago and Detroit
- September 17, 2012 – All West Coasts ports including Alaska and Hawaii
Current participants of the Pilot can begin to submit export ocean manifest immediately to DIS via e-mail to Florida, Puerto Rico, and Golf Coast ports to Brownsville, Texas.
The CSMS is available online at here.
